Forest of Flames
by Kairomaru
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto has an incredible Kekkei Genkai. Flames are his to control and fire bends to his will. Raised by his grandfather to use their bloodline, how strong will Naruto become? Come see the rise of the Forest of Flames. Bloodline!Naruto NarutoxHarem
1. Chapter 1

Welcome one and all to my third story. I apologize for the lack of updates but I finally got a new job and it's been taking up all my time. I was also waiting for Kishimoto to finish up Naruto's birth story and Kushina's back story. Now that he has and we all know the true events of that night I can write a story with the 'correct' beginning regarding Naruto. So without delay let's get this story started.

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**Chapter 1 - The Flame Ignites**

"Come on Kushina-chan! Just one more push!" Namikaze Minato shouted to his wife Uzumaki Kushina who was currently in labor with the couples' child.

"Focus, boy! Don't let the seal weaken or the Kyuubi will escape!" yelled Sarutobi Biwako as she helped Kushina deliver the child. The group of three, plus one Anbu medic codenamed Taji, were currently inside of a cave outside of Konohagakure's walls with a powerful barrier surrounding their location. The reason for such measures was due to Kushina's unique situation as a pregnant jinchuuriki. Such a situation was incredibly rare, so rare in fact that since the founding of the Hidden Villages only Uzumaki Mito, Kushina's ancestor and the wife of Senju Hashirama, the Shodaime Hokage, had ever been in the same situation. Suddenly, with an intensely loud scream from Kushina, the crying of a newborn baby filled the cave.

"It's a boy." Biwako stated with a smile as she began to clean off the newborn.

"You hear him Kushina? Our son is out, he's here." Minato said to Kushina with a grin which she weakly returned. In his lapse of concentration the Kyuubi's malicious chakra suddenly filled the air.

"Keep your focus, boy! Strengthen the seal!" Biwako shouted as she held the newborn away from the red chakra of the Kyuubi that was spilling out of Kushina's weakened seal.

"You stay in Kyuubi!" Minato shouted as he pumped more chakra into Kushina's seal strengthening it and keeping the Kyuubi's chakra from spilling out any further. "Kushina, I know you're exhausted but I need you to exert full control over the Kyuubi." Minato said to his exhausted wife.

"Alright, Minato-kun." Kushina panted out. Before the couple could start suppressing the Kyuubi the sounds of the other two occupants of the cave crying out in shock and pain reached their ears. The couple looked over to see Taji and Biwako lying on the floor and a masked man wearing a black hooded cloak and a strange mask with a single eye hole holding their son with a hand hovering threateningly over the baby's face.

"Yondaime Hokage, step away from the host or this child won't live another minute." the masked man warned as he held the newborn. The baby's crying could be heard throughout the cave as the stranger pulled a kunai out of his sleeve and held it above the baby. 'How did he slip past the barrier?' Minato wondered as he stared at the man threatening his son.

"Ugh!" Kushina groaned out as the Kyuubi's seal started to warp and spread to cover even more of Kushina's stomach and torso.

"Kushina! The Kyuubi's seal is still…" Minato stated with worry before turning back to the masked man.

"Get away from the host…or do you not care about the brat?" the masked intruder asked as he held the kunai closer to the baby.

"Wait…just calm down." Minato stated with his left hand up in a placating gesture.

"Ugh…ooh!" Kushina groaned from behind Minato as the Kyuubi continued to try an escape the seal on her stomach.

"You're the one that needs to calm down, Minato. I am perfectly calm." the masked man responded before he tossed the baby into the air.

"Naruto!" Kushina cried out in fear and panic at the thought of her child being hurt. The masked man thrust his kunai towards baby Naruto's airborne form. Minato's face instantly became battle serious and he disappeared and reappeared in a split second with his son in his arms standing on the wall behind the masked man.

"I expected nothing less of the Kiiroi Senkou…but what about the next one?" the masked man asked. Minato looked down and to his horror found four exploding tags stuck to the blanket that Naruto was wrapped in. Without wasting a second Minato tore the blanket off Naruto.

"Minato! Naruto!" Kushina yelled out in terror before the tags went off and one side of the cave was blown apart. The explosion also destroyed one of the small wooden buildings outside the caves' entrance; Minato, with Naruto in his arms, flew out of the smoke and debris unharmed.

"Thank goodness…Naruto's unharmed." Minato said to himself with relief. "Ugh…" Minato grunted as he looked down at his right leg and noticed a small piece of shrapnel stuck into his right leg. 'He forced me to use Hiraishin no jutsu. He's after Kushina…and now I'm not with her.' Minato thought with a grimace. 'I've got to hurry.' he thought before disappearing with Naruto in a yellow flash. Minato reappeared inside a specially made room in front of one of his tri-pronged kunai.

Meanwhile with Kushina the masked man had her bound to several large rocks by the seal that imprisoned the Kyuubi. As she stood in the center of the rocks she stared at the man before her while sweat dripped down her face from the exhaustion of giving birth.

"What do you want?" Kushina asked while panting tiredly.

"To take the Kyuubi from you and destroy Konoha." The masked man answered simply.

"What!" Kushina exclaimed with her panting becoming worse.

"The markings of Minato's Hiraishin no jutsu, which allows one to teleport from one place to another instantaneously, those markings appear to have been added to your seal." the masked man stated in a neutral tone. "Minato is always protecting you. But now I've gotten him away from you. Furthermore, the seal is weakened after you gave birth…do you know how long I've waited for this brief moment?" The masked man asked with a dark tone that caused Kushina's eyes to widen in shock.

"You'll be safe here." Minato stated to Naruto as he laid the newborn onto a small bed with rails surrounding the sides. "Just wait here for a little while, Naruto. I have to go save your mom right now." Minato finished as he covered Naruto with a blanket.

Back with Kushina and the masked man the man had begun a jutsu to free the Kyuubi from Kushina's seal. With a hand seal from the masked man Kushina cried out in pain as the Kyuubi's chakra erupted from her body forming a one tailed cloak around her while her seal released massive amounts of the Kyuubi's chakra.

"Now…come out of there, Kyuubi!" the masked man called out while holding his hand seal.

"**!"** the Kyuubi roared out as it materialized above the two shinobi on the ground. Standing on its' hind legs the massive Bijuu towered over everything in the area as its' nine tails whipped around its' body and its' forelegs and front paws curled in front of it similar to a human's arms and hands. As soon as the Kyuubi fully formed Kushina slumped down on the rock she stood on before falling flat on her stomach in pain and exhaustion.

"All right…now to head for Konohagakure." the masked man stated as he started walking away from Kushina's body.

"Ugh…wait." Kushina panted out as she raised her head to look at the retreating man.

"The Uzumaki clan is truly amazing…still alive even after having the Bijuu ripped from you, eh?" the masked man asked with a praising tone. The Kyuubi growled before rearing back its right foreleg and aiming at Kushina's prone body. "You were the Kyuubi's host…and now I will use him to kill you." the man stated as the Kyuubi's claw came down on Kushina's exhausted, pain filled, body. With a huge smashing sound and a large dust cloud exploding from the point of impact Kyuubi's foreleg struck the area Kushina was laying. The Kyuubi instantly noticed that Minato had reappeared on a tree nearby with Kushina held safely in his arms.

"You still have the flash…but it's too late." the masked man stated as he looked up at Minato and Kushina's location.

"Minato…Naruto…is Naruto…all right?" Kushina asked as her breath grew more labored.

"Yeah…he's all right…he's in a safe place now." Minato assured her with a grin.

"Thank goodness." Kushina breathed out with relief. Minato quickly looked over his shoulder and cast a deadly glare, full of killing intent, at the masked man.

"Minato…you have to stop that man and the Kyuubi…he's heading…for Konoha." Kushina panted out as sweat continued to pour down her face from pain and exhaustion. Minato looked down at his wife, contemplating what she had just told him before he disappeared in another yellow flash.

"He jumped again…well it doesn't matter…we will head for Konoha now." the masked man stated in a flat tone. Minato reappeared with Kushina in his arms back in the same room he'd left baby Naruto in.

"Why?" Kushina questioned him noticing that they'd left the masked man's location entirely.

"It's fine…you're with Naruto now." Minato told her as he laid his wife down next to their newborn son. Kushina moved close to her child and quickly pulled him close to her in a hug.

"Naruto…" Kushina sighed happily as she lightly nuzzled her sleeping child's head of soft blonde hair with a smile. Minato took in the loving scene before glaring and clenching his fists angrily. He quickly went over to the cabinet in the room and threw it open.

"Minato…thank you…go now." Kushina said tiredly as she held Naruto close to her.

"I'll be back soon." Minato stated as he finished putting on his headband, Jounin vest, and white robe with red flames on the bottom with the words 'Fourth Hokage' written on the back. Back in the village the Sandaime was sitting in his study at home when he suddenly felt a large spike of chakra. 'It can't be…' he thought to himself as he hadn't felt this particular chakra since he was a young boy. Meanwhile in another part of the village the masked man was putting his plan into motion.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu." he stated as a massive summoning array appeared beneath his hand and spread out in all directions from his position. In an instant the Kyuubi appeared inside the village of Konoha smashing everything around it with its sheer size upon its' appearance in the village. Several ninja and civilians were knocked away in the following shockwave and debris.

"That's…" stated a Konoha shinobi as he looked up at the Kyuubi, unable to finish his sentence from the shock.

"Do it, Kyuubi!" the masked man order his Sharingan eye swirling in the one eye hole in his mask.

"**Grawrrr!"** The Kyuubi roared out releasing a shockwave of chakra from its' mouth instantly decimating all the buildings before it, sending shinobi and civilians alike flying inside a large cloud of debris.

"Sandaime Hokage-sama! The Kyuubi! The Kyuubi has suddenly appeared in the village!" an Anbu with an ape mask stated as he appeared before the retired Hokage.

"I know! I'll take care of it! You all protect those that can't fight!" Sarutobi ordered as he finished putting on his battle gear.

"Yes sir!" the ape masked Anbu stated with a bow. 'Did Kushina's seal break? Were all those precautions still not enough?' Sarutobi wondered as he prepared to lead the shinobi of Konoha into battle. At the same time Minato appeared on top of the Hokage Monument, on his own stone head, and saw the Kyuubi near the center of the village. The Kyuubi, with its demonic senses, immediately noticed the small human that had suddenly appeared on top of the monument halfway across the village.

"So you sensed me, huh?" Minato asked as he looked at the released Bijuu. Kyuubi's response was to start gathering massive amounts of chakra into its' gaping maw for an _Imari_ (Menacing Ball). "I won't let you do this here." Minato stated as he started going through hand seals. Kyuubi quickly launched the gigantic sphere of black chakra at the Yondaime. The massive sphere of super dense, demonic chakra vaporized every building it flew over as it headed towards the Yondaime's location. Ending even more lives as the sphere made its' way through the village. As the Imari was about to strike the Hokage Monument it suddenly appeared to slam into an invisible wall before vanishing into a single point. Minato stood with his battle hardened face glaring at the Kyuubi as he held a tri-pronged kunai between his hands. 'For something of this scale, I have to be very careful about where I send it.' Minato thought as a massive explosion suddenly rocked the land about a mile behind the Hokage Monument.

"The jutsu used to deflect the Kyuubi's attack…that's a space-time barrier1" Akimichi Chouza stated while holding his eight foot long war staff.

"Is it Minato?" questioned Nara Shikaku as he and the rest of the shinobi in their area looked on.

"Ok! Let's go!" the Sandaime yelled to his men as they prepared to engage the Kyuubi.

"Right!" was the response from all the gathered shinobi as they followed the retired Hokage. 'I've got to let the Sandaime know what's going on as soon as possible.' Minato thought as a black clad figured tried to grab his shoulder. Minato quickly spun around and tried to jam his tri-pronged kunai into the figure's head. Only for his kunai and everything else to suddenly pass through the man as if he wasn't there.

"You'll have to fight me." the masked man from before stated. "And…it's over." he said before Minato felt himself being pulled into some kind of space-time jutsu by the masked man. The masked man suddenly found the space before him empty. "He jumped again…he's fast…I'll have to suck him in quicker next time…the instant I touch him." the masked man stated as he looked at his empty hand.

Minato landed roughly and slid a few feet from his haphazard use of Hiraishin no jutsu before coming to a stop in the same place he'd used to escape the explosive tags and save Naruto earlier that night. 'He dodged my attack…but then he solidified and tried to suck me in…what was that jutsu?' Minato thought to himself before a swirl began to form a few feet in front of him, bringing with it the masked ninja he had just escaped.

"I won't let you get away." the masked man stated plainly as he watched the Yondaime get back to his feet.

'Can he use space-time Ninjutsu too? So that's how he was able to move Kushina so quickly. He was able to get past the Anbu under the Sandaime's direct control and get through the top-secret barrier. He knew that the Kyuubi's seal would be weakened when Kushina gave birth…not only that, but he knew how to break the seal and tame the Kyuubi. He was also able to get through the barrier around Konoha…there's only one ninja I know…who could do all that.' Minato thought to himself as he stared down the masked man before him.

"Are you Uchiha Madara?" Minato asked the masked man. Said man simply removed his hood without replying. "No…you can't be…he's dead." Minato stated with a disbelieving tone.

"Well…who knows?" The man asked with a drawn out pause.

"At this point, it's not important who you are…but why are you attacking Konoha?" Minato questioned the man with a glare.

"I guess you could say…it's both a whim…and a plan. It's both for war…and for peace." The man stated in a confusing and self-conflicting tone. Minato only intensified his glare at the man.

'Either way…he's no ordinary shinobi! He can control the Kyuubi and is better at space-time Ninjutsu than me or Nidaime…combined with his dangerous ideology…I have to put a stop to him here or he might unleash something even worse than the Kyuubi!' Minato thought to himself as he assessed his enemy. 'If I jump to the village…he'll follow me and make the battlefield even more chaotic. But, like Madara, his Kuchiyose no jutsu probably can't keep the Kyuubi here for long…I'll just have to trust the Sandaime to take care of the village…I have to stop this guy here!' Minato decided as he rushed to engage his enemy.

"There is no hope for you!" the masked shinobi shouted at Minato as he rushed to meet Minato's charge. Minato attempted to stab the masked man with a tri-pronged kunai only to phase through him again and notice that the masked shinobi had a chain connected to a shackle on each of his wrists that he used to try and restrain the Yondaime. Only for Minato to instantly disappear and reappear at the other side of the clearing.

'His body…my physical attacks don't work on him. He only solidifies when he's about to attack, in other words, I'll just have to try attacking when he attacks me." Minato thought as he observed the masked shinobi. 'It's risky for him to attack; and with the Kyuubi's Kuchiyose in mind, he probably wants to finish this as quickly as possible. It's all down to whose attack is a split second faster!' Minato thought as he rushed back at the masked man with his tri-pronged kunai in hand. As the two shinobi approached one another, in a full sprint, Minato quickly threw his tri-pronged kunai at the masked man's head. The kunai, predictably, passed through the masked ninja's face and phased out of the back of his head. The masked shinobi reached up to grab Minato, only to notice that the Yondaime now held a Rasengan in his right hand which he was preparing to shove into the masked man's head.

'Victory is mine…' the masked shinobi thought as he was going to touch Minato's arm before the Rasengan could reach him. Only for his hand to touch nothing as Minato suddenly disappeared and reappear above the kunai that had just passed through the masked man's head. Minato was quick to slam his Rasengan into the masked ninja's back and drive his enemy into the ground. 'Shit…he jumped to that kunai!' the masked man thought as he craned his neck to stare at the Yondaime.

"That's Hiraishin no jutsu, level two." Minato stated as he caught the kunai he had used to perform the jutsu. The masked shinobi was smashed into the ground until it cracked sending large pieces of dirt and rock flying. When the Rasengan dissipated the masked man quickly jumped away from Minato as blood began to run down his back and both of his arms. Before he could react Minato had appeared and stabbed him in the stomach with a tri-pronged kunai. 'Hiraishin no jutsu! I see…he must have put some marking on me!' the masked shinobi thought as he saw the intense glare that Minato was giving him. Minato quickly slammed his hand onto the masked man's body; sealing runes quickly spread from the point of impact and covered the left side of the man's torso.

"A _Keiyaku Fuin_ (Contract Seal)! Are you trying to break my contract with the Kyuubi?" the masked shinobi asked in shock.

"Now the Kyuubi will no longer be yours to control!" Minato answered.

Back in Konoha the Kyuubi suddenly let out a massive roar as its eyes changed from a Sharingan form, back into their usual slit pupil. Suddenly the Kyuubi jumped straight backwards, smashed through the wall that surrounded Konoha, and landed in the forest surrounding the village.

"We've gotten it out of the village! Continue the attack!" the Sandaime, flanked by his two old teammates, and backed by several shinobi called out as they all rushed outside the village to try and subdue the released Bijuu. 'Where is Minato?' the Sandaime wondered as he rushed towards the Kyuubi with Enma, in his staff form, in his hands.

"No wonder you're the Yondaime Hokage. I'm impressed you were able to wound me and wrest the Kyuubi from me…but the Kyuubi will be mine once more. I am the ruler of the world…I have many means at my disposal." the masked man told Minato before disappearing into another vortex. 'That feeling…he's not lying.' Minato thought as he saw the man disappear. Minato quickly used Hiraishin to get to the battlefield against the Kyuubi. When he appeared he looked at the devastation the released Bijuu had caused. 'This is terrible.' he thought as he took in all the damage around him.

"Ugh…are you going to try that again?" the Sandaime asked another ninja beside him as he shakily got back to his feet with Enma, still in staff form, resting on his shoulder.

"Sandaime!" the ninja shouted as he tried to help the old Hokage to his feet.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" Minato yelled as he summoned Gamabunta to the battlefield.

"That's Yondaime-sama!" a random shinobi called out. As Gamabunta landed on top of the Kyuubi, smashing the Bijuu's head into the ground. 'Kushina, I'm sorry.' Minato thought to himself as he remembered the masked man's words about reclaiming the Kyuubi.

"Hold back the Kyuubi for a little while!" Minato yelled to Gamabunta as he stood on the giant toad's head.

"Even I can't hold him back for long!" Gamabunta told him as he sat on the Kyuubi's body. The Kyuubi was already forming another Imari and aiming it in the only direction it could, straight forward, towards the Sandaime and the ninja fighting with him.

"I'll need a lot of chakra to send away something this big!" Minato shouted to Gamabunta as he prepared to start his jutsu.

"Ugh!" the Sandaime grunted out as it saw the large black sphere of chakra the Kyuubi had in it's mouth, all of it aimed directly at him. In an instant the Kyuubi vanished and the Sandaime stared in confusion as Gamabunta landed on the ground from the Kyuubi's sudden teleportation.

"Minato…where did he send the Kyuubi?" Sarutobi questioned before a large explosion was heard and seen coming from a few miles away. "Over there!" the Sandaime said as he noticed the intense light of the explosion. The Kyuubi's Imari had destroyed the building that Kushina and Naruto had been left in and the Kyuubi was trying to figure out where it was now by looking around itself in confusion. Minato reappeared with Kushina and Naruto in his arms behind a large tree where the Kyuubi couldn't see them.

"I have to get a barrier up as soon as possible!" Minato stated before thinking. 'My chakra is almost gone.' While he started panting from the exertion of teleporting the Kyuubi so far away from the battlefield.

"I can…still fight…Minato." Kushina said tiredly as she activated her seal and chains made of chakra emerged from her back and bound the Kyuubi, and all nine of its' tails, in a split second.

"Kushina…" Minato said with a worried tone as Naruto started to cry in his arms.

"I guess…we woke him up…sorry…Naruto." Kushina panted out as blood began to seep out of her mouth.

"Kushina…what are you…" Minato tried to speak before Kushina interrupted him.

"I'm going to draw…the Kyuubi in…and kill myself. That way…I can…put off…the Kyuubi's…resurrection. That's the only way the last of my chakra can be of help to you." Kushina was able to force out between pants as she felt her life slipping away. "Thank you…for everything." Kushina said with a smile as she looked towards Minato.

"Kushina…you made me the Yondaime Hokage! You made me a man! You made me this child's father! An yet…" Minato spoke loudly as he tried to reign in his emotions while Naruto continued to cry.

"Minato…don't look like that. I'm…happy…you…love me…and it's…his birthday today." Kushina stated tiredly while looking at Naruto in Minato's arms. "An most importantly…when…I think about…what our life would be like…together…if I lived…I can only picture…happiness." Kushina panted out with a happy grin on her exhausted face. Minato couldn't hold back and let a tear fall down his face at his wife's words. "If there's…one thing…I regret…it's that I won't get to see…Naruto grow up." Kushina spoke through her exhausted state.

"Kushina…there's no need for you to die with the Kyuubi. Use your remaining chakra so you can be reunited with Naruto." Minato said with conviction.

"Huh?" Kushina asked with a questioning look.

"I'll seal your remaining chakra inside Naruto with a _Hakke Fuin_ (Eight Symbol Seal). Then I will take the Kyuubi down with me. Since I'm not the host, I can use _Shiki Fujin_ (Dead Demon Consuming Seal)." Minato explained to her as he held, the now sleeping, Naruto.

"But…with that seal you'll…" Kushina exclaimed with a shocked expression.

"There's one more thing…I can only seal half the Kyuubi's power…it's just not physically possible to seal it completely…it's not strategically feasible either. If you take the Kyuubi down with you, there won't be a host until the Kyuubi is revived, and the Bijuu balance will be thrown out of whack. With Shiki Fujin, I can seal half the Kyuubi's power forever. The other half…" Minato paused here as he remembered what his sensei, Jiraiya, had told him about the child of prophecy. The child that would be the savior of the shinobi world. "I'll seal within Naruto; with Hakke Fuin." Minato finished his sentence much to the shock of Kushina.

"I know what you want to say…but Jiraiya-sensei talked about the coming revolution…and the catastrophes that will come with it. Today…I realized two things. The masked man that attacked you…he will bring catastrophe upon us. This child is the one who will stop him. As the host, he will clear the way to the future. For some reason, I just know." Minato finished as he set Naruto in front of Kushina. At this time the Sandaime had finally made it to the area that Minato had transported the Kyuubi to.

"But…Minato…" Kushina tried to find something to say, but couldn't. Minato quickly went through the nine hand seals for the Shiki Fujin. Once he completed the hand seals the Shinigami appeared behind Minato with a spectral figure of Minato already bound in the death god's hair.

"Have faith in this child. After all, he is our son." Minato stated before explaining the final part of his plan. "After I use the Shiki Fujin, I'll seal your chakra inside Naruto. You won't get to see him for very long once he's grown up, but I want you to help him out when he tries to control the Kyuubi as its' host." Minato told her with the Shinigami hovering motionless behind him.

"But he's our son and I don't want him to have to bear that burden." Kushina stated while looking Minato in the eyes. "An why the Shiki Fujin? Just so…I can see him when he's grown up? It won't even be for that long…there's no reason for you to die for that! I wanted you…to stay with Naruto and watch over him as he…grows up! So why? To preserve the balance between the Bijuu? For our country? Our village? There's no reason to sacrifice Naruto for that! You shouldn't sacrifice yourself for me!" Kushina finished before panting to get her breath back and from her condition.

"Abandoning one's country…abandoning one's village…that's the same as abandoning one's child. As someone whose country was destroyed, you should understand that best, shouldn't you? You know the harsh life that awaits those without a country…besides; we are a family…of shinobi!" Minato explained while Kushina looked up at him unconvinced. "Even if I were to live, I could never compare to you…even if just for a short time…there is something you can give him as his mother that I never could…that is a mother's role. I'm not doing this just for you…I'm doing it for Naruto. I am willing to die for my son…that is my role as his father." Minato finished while looking at Kushina with determination shining in his eyes. The Shinigami moved his left hand as the rosary beads in his hand wrapped around his arm and strange black markings began to spread along the death god's arm.

"That seal…could it be…the Shiki Fujin?" Sarutobi questioned as he was within eye sight of the Kyuubi.

"Sandaime-sama! What's going on?" questioned two Jounin as they landed behind the old Hokage.

"**GRRRRRR!"** the Kyuubi growled as it was further restrained by the chakra chains that bound it.

"It's no use…I can't get inside the barrier that's keeping the Kyuubi from getting out! They're planning on taking care of the Kyuubi on their own!" Sarutobi stated as he pressed his hand against the giant barrier that prevented him from trying to assist the couple dealing with the Kyuubi. The Shinigami finished his preparations for his task before pushing his hand into the spectral representation of Minato that was held by his hair. Out of the real Minato's stomach, the death god's hand emerged and launched itself, the god's arm ever stretching, towards the Kyuubi. **'Damn you Yondaime Hokage.'** the Kyuubi thought as the Shinigami's hand grabbed its left foreleg.

"Seal." Minato stated with finality as his gaze was completely determined.

"**GRAWWWWWRRRR!"** the Kyuubi roared out as half of its' chakra was torn from its' body and dragged inside of Minato. 'I'm paralyzed…I had no idea the chakra would be this heavy.' Minato thought as his vision was fading in and out.

"It is the Shiki Fujin! I can't believe he's really using it!" Sarutobi stated in shock as he watched the fate of the Bijuu.

"But the Kyuubi's still there! Was he not able to fully seal it?" one of the Jounin asked the Sandaime.

"The Kyuubi is smaller." Sarutobi stated as they saw that the Kyuubi was only about a fifth of its original size.

"**GRRRRRR!"** the Kyuubi growled in anger as it watched the humans continue working.

"Ok…now for the Hakke Fuin…I'll seal the Kyuubi inside Naruto!" Minato stated as he summoned a small pedestal surrounded by eight candles.

'**That's a ceremonial pedestal! Does he mean to seal me away again? In that child?'** the Kyuubi wondered angrily as it continued to growl in rage. Minato carefully set Naruto on the pedestal. Suddenly Kushina coughed up blood behind him causing him to turn around and look at her.

"Kushina! Are you ok?" Minato questioned as Kushina continued to cough and spit up blood. The chakra chains binding the Kyuubi went slack when Kushina lost her focus on them prompting the Kyuubi to try and end the attempt to seal him again by attacking Naruto. As it brought its' claws down to attack Naruto both Kushina and Minato jumped into the path of the claws and were impaled by the one claw that would have killed Naruto.

"I told you…this is something even a father can do." Minato told Kushina as they held the claw back from harming their son.

"Then…a mother would be even better right?" Kushina asked as she tightened the chains holding the Kyuubi again.

"Is the child there?" Sarutobi questioned the Jounin next to him.

"They protected him!" the Jounin answered back.

"**You bastards."** the Kyuubi actually spoke as the chains were once again painfully restraining it.

"All right…this is the first time I've ever lost an argument with you…that's how I know you must be serious." Kushina said silently giving Minato her consent to go through with his plan.

"Thanks Kushina." Minato said before wiping some blood on his hand and summoning a special toad with the Kuchiyose no jutsu.

"Hmm?" said the toad as it appeared with its' arms crossed. "Whoa! The Kyuubi!" the toad exclaimed in fright as it saw the Bijuu. Yondaime what are you doing?" the toad questioned.

"Gamatora, I'm giving you the key to the seal. I want you to take it to Jiraiya-sensei and immediately store it inside of him." Minato instructed the toad who was quick to comply.

"I see! So Minato is making his own son the host in order to save the village." Sarutobi remarked as Minato's plan finally fell into place in his head.

"I have the key! So now I will go!" Gamatora stated as he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"That's a relief." Minato stated as he prepared the next seal while the Shinigami removed the knife from his mouth. "Kushina…you're not going to last much longer. I'll give you the Hakke Fuin now. I want…to seal a little of my chakra inside of Naruto as well. You won't see him for a while…so tell him anything you want to say now." Minato told her quietly as he prepared the seal.

"Naruto…don't be a picky eater…eat heartily…so you grow big and strong. Take a bath…everyday…and keep warm…and don't stay up late…get enough sleep. Make friends…you don't need a lot…but a few true friends…you can really trust. I was never good at it myself…but study hard and practice your Ninjutsu…but everyone has things they're good at and things they're not…so if you…have a hard time…don't let it get you down. Respect your sensei and senpai at the academy. Oh…and one more important thing…about the three ninja vices…be especially careful…when lending or borrowing money… and save the money you earn…from missions. Don't drink…until your twenty…and drinking too much is bad for you…so take it easy. As for women…I'm a woman…so I don't really understand…but anyway…there are only men and women…so you will find yourself interested in women…but just don't…fall for a strange one. Find…a woman like your mom." Kushina spoke as quickly as she could, feeling herself slowly slipping away.

"Speaking of vices…one more thing…watch out…for Jiraiya-sensei." Minato said with a grin.

"Naruto…you will face…many painful times…and hard times…but just be yourself. Have your dreams…and the confidence…to make those dreams come true. I really, really, really, really, really…wish I could be there…to teach you so many more things…I really wish I could be with you longer…I love you. Minato…I'm sorry…for talking so much." Kushina apologized to Minato.

"No…it's all right…Naruto…as your father…I'll just second everything…your chatty mom said…Hakke Fuin!" Minato finished as Naruto smiled in his sleep. As Minato finished the seal the Kyuubi disappeared entirely and Kushina passed on with a smile on her face as well. Sarutobi quickly ran to Minato's side and caught the dying Hokage before he hit the ground.

"Minato…why?" Sarutobi asked as he held the dying Hokage.

"Sarutobi, make sure they see him as a hero." Minato said in a whispery voice.

"I will, Minato, I promise you." Sarutobi stated sadly as he watched the life leaving Minato's eyes.

"Also, contact…my father…in the capital. Let him know…what happened…he'll raise Naruto." Minato asked Sarutobi who looked shocked.

"You want me to contact your father, Yamamoto? He hasn't left the capital since you became a shinobi for Konoha. Will he really come here?" Sarutobi questioned.

"Yes…he told me to…let him know when…his grandchild was born. He wants to…train the child…in our bloodline. Even though…I never activated it…I know…Naruto will. Tou-san…will keep Naruto…safe…until he can protect…himself. Please…call him to…Konoha…for his grandson's…sake." Minato pleaded with his final breaths.

"I will, Minato. I'll drag your father here if I have to. You can rest peacefully with that promise; I'll make sure of it." Sarutobi promised as Minato smiled one more time before slipping away into the Shinigami's embrace. 'This is going to be a very eventful week, I can already tell.' Sarutobi thought to himself as he had both Jounin help him carry Minato and Kushina back to Konoha for a proper burial.

-x-x-x-Time Skip ~ One Week Later-x-x-x-

'I was right.' Sarutobi sighed mentally as for the seventh time this week he was in another council meeting about what to do with young Naruto. The civilian council members wanted the boy turned into a weapon, imprisoned until he was needed during a war, or just out right executed to keep a repeat of the Kyuubi attack from ever happening again. The shinobi council members, made up of the Shinobi Clan Heads, wanted the boy watched carefully but otherwise left to be a normal child. While Sarutobi and his advisors, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, wanted the boy raised as a normal child and the knowledge of the Kyuubi kept from him as long as possible to prevent any accidents from occurring with the Bijuu.

"I say we should just execute the little monster and be done with It." yelled a pink haired woman on the civilian council. Many calls of agreement came from the civilian side of the room.

"Your plan could just as easily doom us all! What if the seal breaks and allows the Kyuubi to roam free again? How many citizens do we need to lose before you learn to stop messing with something you don't understand?" Koharu asked the civilian woman with a scowl on her face. Murmurs of agreement rang out from the shinobi side of the council.

"Let me take the boy in, I assure you in a few years I could have him strong enough to keep any other village from ever attacking us again." Shimura Danzo spoke up from his place on the council.

"For the last time, Danzo, Naruto will not be used as a weapon of war. He is a child and will be treated as such." Sarutobi stated with a look that could freeze most men in their tracks. Danzo simply shrugged it off and sat quietly, though Sarutobi was damn sure the gears in the old war hawk's brain were turning faster than they had in years.

"If something isn't done about the demon then I'll get rid of it myself!" a large, heavy set, civilian councilman spoke out as he stood from his chair in rage. He'd lost his entire business to the Kyuubi's rampage and he wouldn't accept anything less than execution for the monster that had ruined his business and left him bankrupt. Without warning a massive spike in chakra filled the room and a heavy pressure that only a few could even recognize as killing intent had almost everyone in the room choking on their own breath.

The door to the council chambers was slid open by an old man with a long beard that reached the top of his stomach and was kept neat with a long, dark purple cloth that was wrapped around the hair to keep it tame. He had no hair on his head, but he walked completely upright and had a wooden cane that looked like it came from a large tree branch in his right hand. His clothing consisted of a solid black kimono and hamaka pants, with a long, white over coat that reached down to just above his ankles with dark orange flames lining the bottom and the kanji for 'Namikaze' going vertically down the back. This man was Namikaze Yamamoto, the current head of the Namikaze clan and supposedly still one of the strongest shinobi alive; even at his current age of sixty one. He was also Naruto's grandfather.

"Hokage-dono, please pardon my intrusion." Yamamoto said before turning towards the councilman that just threatened to kill his grandchild. The councilman was already on his knees fighting for every breath he managed to take when Yamamoto approached him. "Listen well, child, if I ever come to believe that you are plotting to harm my grandchild I will insure that you never see the next sunrise, do I make myself clear?" Yamamoto asked as he practically crushed the civilian with his chakra and killing intent alone. All the councilman could do was nod before he finally passed out from the strain Yamamoto's presence placed on him. With that the massive chakra and oppressive killing intent vanished entirely. "My apologies, Hokage-dono, but I believe my position on this matter has been relayed to everyone. Now if I may, I'd like to see my grandchild and take him to the Namikaze home in this village." Yamamoto intoned in a calm and professional manner.

"Of course, Namikaze-dono, I shall personally escort you to Naruto's current care room in the hospital." Sarutobi stated before standing up from his chair. "Meeting adjourned, you're all dismissed." Sarutobi stated to the council while walking beside Yamamoto towards the hospital. "I must admit, Yamamoto-dono, I was worried you may not have come. I know you were initially against Minato becoming a Konoha shinobi instead of a Daimyo shinobi in the capital."

"I only wanted what I thought was best for my son. He proved to me years ago that he was happy being a Konoha shinobi; so I let him be and stayed in the capital to continue serving the daimyo directly. But when I told him of my son's fate and my grandchild's birth, he himself urged me to come and take care of my only grandchild. I plan on visiting my son's and his wife's graves tonight, to pay proper respects." Yamamoto explained to Sarutobi as they reached the hospital.

"Of course. I'll show you to them personally as well." Sarutobi stated to which Yamamoto nodded his thanks. Upon entering the hospital and going up two flights of stairs, the two old men reached Naruto's nursery room. When they both entered they noticed Naruto being gently rocked back and forth by a young nurse who cooed at the adorable blonde baby that was currently awake and trying to reach towards the nurse's outstretched finger. After taking in the adorable scene for a moment, Yamamoto and Sarutobi announced their presence to the young woman who reluctantly let the little blonde ball of sunshine be taken from her arms. As Yamamoto held his grandchild he couldn't fight the smile that form on his old face as the boy instantly began to play with his grandfather's beard.

"He's just as lively as Minato was when he was a baby. It seems I have another ball of energy on my hands." Yamamoto chuckled as Naruto was running his tiny fingers through his grandfather's beard. Sarutobi could only agree as they took what Naruto would need for the next few days from the nursery room and left the hospital towards the Namikaze home that had been built for Minato when he'd become the Yondaime Hokage. When the three of them arrived at the gate to the large house the unexpected happened. Two drunken civilians spotted the, by now, well known baby jinchuuriki and both had hurled their empty sake bottles at the child. Neither was in any state of mind to realize the Hokage was standing right next to the boy or who it was that was holding him. In an instant both sake bottles were reduced to molten ceramic that fell to the ground harmlessly; except for the red hot glow each one of them gave off. Before the drunks could even hope to register what had happened both had burst into an intense, human sized, inferno that quickly dissipated as fast as it had engulfed the two men, leaving them both lying on the ground with third degree burns and blacked out.

"I hope such attempts to harm my grandchild do no persist, Sarutobi-dono. I would be most displeased if this happened again." Yamamoto stated seriously while Sarutobi signaled for his Anbu to take the drunks to the hospital for treatment before sending them to the Interrogation Department for a 'small chat' with the head of the department. Suddenly both men heard a giggle and saw baby Naruto's eyes focusing on the small flame that still rested in Yamamoto's right hand.

"It seems young Naruto has already developed a liking for his family's kekkei genkai." Sarutobi remarked as he watched Naruto's small eyes follow the small flickering flame.

"So it would seem, Minato may have been right we he said that Naruto would activate our clan's bloodline. Only the future will let us know for sure." Yamamoto stated before bidding Sarutobi good evening and entering the Namikaze home.

-x-x-x-x-x-End Chapter-x-x-x-x-x-

So what does everyone think? Good? Bad? Too long? Let me know in your reviews. Before anyone asks, yes Yamamoto is basically Yamamoto from Bleach. Only my version doesn't slouch over when he walks and he doesn't have three names.

Also, regarding the pairing I have one girl picked out already, but like all my Naruto stories this one will also be a harem. I like giving Naruto the loves, if you don't like it you can leave. Naruto, in this fic, comes from a noble 'Daimyo shinobi' family. Meaning his shinobi clan has directly served the daimyo in the capital for generations. So that's the only clue I'll give you to guess which girl I have already decided will be with Naruto.

Feel free to send in your suggestions for other girls, just keep in mind; my harems are no more than 5 girls. Ever. An usually I stop at three but sometimes I do four. So if you have a suggestion, leave it in your review with a reason as to why that girl or girls should get to be with Naruto. If I agree with your reasoning there is a very likely chance that your choice may get in.

One last thing, my other stories will be updated when I get the time to update them plus I have all of my other stories to start when I have time. This reminds me to close my poll on my profile. So anyway, until I get your reviews, later.


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry to all of my fans for the ridiculously long wait. A combination of being sick, work trouble, and severe writer's block have kept me from updating any of my stories. But at last I'm back with a new chapter.

This chapter will cover the early years of Naruto's life. Yamamoto's training of him and a deeper explanation of the Kaenshoutei bloodline. Keep in mind that some of the training, while not shown here, will be shown later in flashbacks. With all that said and done, let the chapter begin.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

**Chapter 2 - Feeding the Fire**

It had been a little over six years since the Kyuubi's rampage and the death of the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato. In that time the village was repaired and the populace of Konoha had been able to carry on with their lives. In the Namikaze clan home we find the best known, except to himself, Jinchuuriki in the village, Namikaze Naruto. Said Namikaze was currently crawling, sleepily, out of his bed to start the day. After a shower and getting dressed Naruto made his way down to the kitchen for breakfast.

"Good morning, Naruto-sama." greeted the head kitchen servant as she showed him to the table where his breakfast awaited.

"Good morning, Kaya-san." Naruto replied with a smile as he sat down and bowed to his grandfather sitting across the table. "Good morning, Oji-san." Naruto said while sitting up straight and reaching for his chopsticks.

"Good morning, magomusuko (My grandson)." Yamamoto replied with a small grin. He couldn't have been happier with his grandson's growth, both physically and mentally. The boy was simply a joy to be around, like a warm fire on a cold night, he simply radiated a kindness that attracted people to him. Plus he was the perfect young noble in Yamamoto's opinion. He didn't look down on others that didn't come from noble clans, rather, he used his status to try and help others while maintaining his etiquette and dignity. Yamamoto was also greatly pleased with his grandson's activation of their clan's kekkei genkai.

~ Flashback ~

Yamamoto was taking a five year old Naruto out to view the village's Spring Festival and see the fireworks show at the end. Little Naruto was walking beside his grandfather excitedly while trying to take in all the sights and sounds of the festival. Many people would bow to the Namikaze as they walked through the festival which Naruto only had a basic understanding of. Shortly after Yamamoto's arrival, he'd made it very clear to all of Konoha who Naruto was. The son of Namikaze Minato and the grandson of Namikaze Yamamoto, current head of the Namikaze clan. The same clan that had been entrusted by the Fire Daimyo with his family's protection since the founding of Hi no Kuni. No one wanted to make an enemy out of them. So Naruto's treatment and public standing in the village was high as Yamamoto expected it to be.

Yamamoto took Naruto through the entire festival letting the boy play the games and sample some of the sweets offered at the various stands. When it came time for the fireworks Yamamoto brought Naruto to an open field where the majority of Konoha was sitting to watch the fireworks. After picking a spot near a flowering sakura tree, Yamamoto let Naruto go mingle among the other children his age. Before long the first fireworks began to burst overhead causing the crowd to ooh and ah at the brilliant display of colors. Naruto, who had found his way back near his grandfather, was happily giggling at the display. Several more fireworks went off when Yamamoto suddenly noticed Naruto's hands and forearms were covered in small flames. Naruto kept watching the fireworks with excitement, completely oblivious to the fact that his arms were on fire. Yamamoto actually chuckled at his grandson's reaction when he finally noticed the flames covering his arms. Naruto simply stared at his arms before bursting out in a new wave of excited giggles as he ran around waving his flaming hands and showing them to his grandfather with a large smile on his face.

~ End Flashback ~

Yamamoto smiled fondly at the memory as he watched his grandson finish his breakfast. Naruto, after noticing his grandfather watching him, asked him if he needed anything.

"No, I'm quite alright, Naruto. Are you ready to start training for the day?" Yamamoto questioned while watching his grandson.

"Of course, Oji-san. I'll go change into my training clothes." Naruto responded with a bow as he quickly left the room to go change. Yamamoto was happy to see such enthusiasm and stood from the table to head outside to the training field in the large backyard of the compound. To be honest he was impressed with his grandson's progress with their bloodline, a little over a year of training and the boy could already keep himself from bursting into flames when his emotions hit their peaks. Not to mention his rather remarkable skill at calling his flames into existence and how quickly he could extinguish them. Control was what the entire first year of training had been about and with Naruto's completion of it Yamamoto firmly believed his grandson was ready to learn the first stages of offensive and defensive fire manipulation.

"I'm ready, sensei." Yamamoto heard from behind him as he turned and saw his grandson in his training clothes. A set of fire resistant training garments consisting of a black gi top and black gi pants. Both of which, while naturally fire resistant, had been further strengthened with heat dispersing seals put on each article of the clothing.

"Very well, seito (pupil/student). We will begin with the first of the Namikaze clan's offensive techniques." Yamamoto stated as Naruto nodded with a determined look on his face. Yamamoto slowly brought his hands together, one above the other, with both hands open just enough that you could see the space between his hands. He slowly started to move his hands back and forth with each hand moving in the opposite direction from the other. After the first two times a small spark could be seen between his hands with each movement. Then with a spark and a faint snap, a ball of reddish flames appeared in each of Yamamoto's hands. "_Kasho Happa-Ken_ (Destructive Fire-Emitting Palm-Fist)." Yamamoto stated as he held both of the baseball sized spheres of flame in his hands.

"This is what you will be learning first. It is the most basic offensive Namikaze clan technique. It can be used to increase the power of your fists, like so." Yamamoto explained as he used the sphere in his left hand and punched a training log beside him causing the fireball to explode and the training post to break in half. "Or preferably, it can be used as a ranged technique, observe." Yamamoto finished as he threw the fireball in his right hand at a training post fifty feet away. The fireball exploded on impact and the post was left broken and scorched. "When you are ready, you may begin." Yamamoto stated as he stepped back to watch his grandson work.

"Yes, sensei." Naruto replied as he quickly got to work on the technique. Naruto quickly channeled his chakra into his palms and tried moving his hands past each other. He kept trying but didn't get so much as a spark. 'What am I doing wrong? I'm doing exactly what Oji-san did and I'm getting nothing, so what am I missing?' Naruto wondered to himself as he continued moving his hands.

"You won't grasp this technique just by moving your hands, seito. Remember how I showed you to make a campfire before you activated the Kaenshoutei? Try using that experience to learn this technique." Yamamoto instructed from his place sitting on the wooden back porch.

"Yes, sensei." Naruto responded as he thought back to what his grandfather had shown him. 'We struck two flint rocks together until they caught the tinder on fire. What does that have to do with this technique?' Naruto wondered to himself as he thought about what he was doing. 'Wait, that's it! I'm not causing any friction with my hands so I can't get a spark. But Oji-san didn't let his hands touch at all and he still got it, what else is there?' Naruto wondered as he continued to contemplate the technique.

Yamamoto smiled at seeing his grandson work so hard to figure the technique out on his own. 'He'll go far in the world with that kind of hard work.' He mused to himself as a sudden look of understanding crossed Naruto's face. 'Oh, it looks like he's figured it out.' Yamamoto smiled as Naruto started trying the technique again.

"It's so simple." Naruto exclaimed to himself as he started moving his hands back and forth. 'I just have to create friction to get the spark, and since I can't do that with my hands, I have to do it with my chakra!' Naruto thought as a spark came to life between his hands. The second spark came and Naruto added a small burst of chakra to his hands. With a small snap a softball sized ball of reddish fire was being held in Naruto's hands.

"Very good, seito. You've grasped the formation of this technique. Now let's see you use it." Yamamoto said while pointing towards a training post about fifteen feet away.

"Yes, sensei." Naruto replied as he shifted his feet and moved the fireball to his right hand. He took a second to aim before throwing the ball directly at the post. The fireball hit the post and exploded causing the post to splinter and blacken on one side.

"Very good, seito. You'll soon learn to do that almost instantly. Now for the basic defensive technique of the Namikaze clan." Yamamoto stated as he was quickly covered in a dome of fire. Just as quickly as it appeared the dome dispersed showing Yamamoto without a singe on him. "_Higara_. (Fire Shell)" Yamamoto said while walking towards Naruto. "Once you've grasped this technique we'll take a break for a while and then we'll work to have you perfect these two techniques before we move on to anything more advanced." Yamamoto explained as Naruto nodded. This technique seemed a bit simpler anyway.

"Higara." Naruto stated as a large dome of fire covered him from view. 'Not bad.' Yamamoto thought to himself as he observed the large dome of yellowish orange flames. 'A little bigger than it really needs to be, but if it was a few feet thick that would be normal enough.' He mused as he watched the flames disperse to reveal an un-singed Naruto smiling happily at his grandfather. "So, how was that, sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Very good. A little larger than necessary, but a fine Higara all the same. Let's take a break." Yamamoto replied as he led Naruto back to the porch. After a moment a servant came and served the two Namikaze tea before leaving them to their conversation.

"So, Oji-san, why can't I just call up a regular fireball instead of making a Kasho Happa-Ken?" Naruto asked as he sipped his tea next to his grandfather.

"Ah, I had a feeling you'd ask once you started learning the techniques." Yamamoto responded as he chuckled slightly. "You see, Naruto, it is easier to form a fireball out of our flames and send it at an enemy, rather than create a Kasho Happa-Ken. However, the Kasho Happa-Ken has much greater range and explosive force than any regular fireball. In my experience a single Kasho Happa-Ken can be thrown through two or even three Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu techniques and still strike an enemy with enough force to disable or kill. Provided it's created with enough chakra to give it that much power." Yamamoto explained as he picked up his tea and took a sip.

"Oh, I see. So each of the techniques has advantages over just throwing our flames around. That makes sense, why call it a technique at all if it doesn't have something about it that makes it different than what we can do easily, right?" Naruto asked his grandfather.

"Very true, Naruto. Is there anything else you'd like to ask me?" Yamamoto questioned his grandson.

"Actually, could you explain the _Shinseihi_ (Sacred Fires) to me again?" Naruto asked with a bow.

Yamamoto chuckled at his grandson's request, knowing the boy was fixated on the Shinseihi and would someday want to learn the ways to access their power. "Alright, I suppose I'll tell you about them again."

"Thank you, Oji-san." Naruto stated with a grin on his six year old face.

"You're welcome, Naruto." Yamamoto replied with another chuckle before he began his explanation. "Our clan has control over fire, our kekkei genkai, the Kaenshoutei, allows us to take fire manipulation to levels no other clan can hope to accomplish. The highest of these levels are known collectively as the Shinseihi. The first of the Shinseihi is known as _Satsuen_ (Murdering Blaze), though it's sometimes called _Yamikaen_ (Darkness Flame), this fire is a black blaze that destroys everything it touches. This fire can incinerate anything it touches; wood, rock, metal, flesh, chakra, it matters not to this fire. This fire simply consumes and destroys everything. It's also incredibly hard to control; this fire is attracted by other sources of chakra. Chakra from jutsu, chakra inside animals, chakra inside plants, chakra inside other people, this fire will incinerate them all to get to their chakra. Those people could be enemies, allies, or just innocent bystanders this fire will consume them regardless. This fire must be strictly controlled and only the highest masters of our bloodline are even allowed to attempt to summon this fire." Yamamoto explained before Naruto asked another question.

"Does it try to take the user's chakra too, Oji-san?" Naruto asked with awe.

"That is why it must be strictly controlled, Naruto. If you can't control the Satsuen it will consume you just as easily as anything else." Yamamoto explained seriously.

"Yes, Oji-san, I'll learn how to control the Satsuen someday." Naruto said with determination.

"The second of the Shinseihi is the _Kin no Hi_ (Golden Fire). This fire is capable of burning through any intangible link, force, or illusion. This fire can even burn through the force of gravity for short periods of time. It's not uncommon for skilled users of this fire to use it to lessen gravity's effect on them so that they can boost their speed and strength in combat. This fire can also burn through the effects of various Fuuinjutsu seals including barrier seals and even Kuchiyose seals." Yamamoto explained.

"Could I learn to harness that fire, Oji-san?" Naruto asked curiously.

"I'm sure you could, Naruto. But as with all the Shinseihi it must be carefully controlled or it will cause complete chaos and destruction." Yamamoto responded with seriousness.

"I understand, Oji-san. I'll never misuse my bloodline for any reason." Naruto stated with a smile to his grandfather.

"The final Shinseihi is known as the _Kami no Hi_ (God Fire). It is the ultimate fire capable of burning anywhere, even underwater. There is nothing the Kami no Hi can't turn to ash. The Kami no Hi is capable of burning things that can't normally be burned, including darkness and things that don't currently exist in this plane of existence, like spirits or Jikukan Ninjutsu users. With this fire there is no enemy that is out of your reach, every enemy eventually falls to this flame and is left as nothing more than pure, white, ash. The greatest aspect of this flame is that it will also burn nothing if you so desire it. This flame will only burn what you wish it to, even something as small as a speck of dust off an allies' clothing can be removed without causing any harm or discomfort to said person." Yamamoto said with a sigh of content.

"Wow, it really sounds like the ultimate fire." Naruto responded with awe.

"It is, which is why only one Kaenshoutei user in every two or three generations gains the ability to access its' power. I believe you may someday gain access to this fire yourself, Naruto." Yamamoto said with a small smile.

"I'll do my best, Oji-san." Naruto replied with a grin as the two finished their tea and made their way back to training.

~ Time Skip - First Day of Academy ~

A now eight year old Namikaze Naruto was walking beside his grandfather on his way to his first day at the Shinobi Academy. He was dressed in black shinobi pants, a mesh undershirt with a dark red shirt over it. Walking into the Academy campus, both Namikaze were quickly spotted and many people began whispering to each other. As they got closer to the crowd many civilians started bowing towards the two nobles. Naruto looked around at the other children his age and noticed several people that he recognized to be from several prominent shinobi clans.

There were two members of the Yamanaka clan, a man and a young girl. Naruto saw two members of the Inuzuka clan, one woman and a boy about Naruto's age. Naruto was able to see two Akimichi clan members a man and a boy. Two members of the Aburame clan stood off to the side from the main group of people. Naruto saw a Nara man and boy leaning against a tree in the courtyard, both of whom yawned loudly. The Hyuuga head Hiashi and his daughter Hinata stood near the front of the crowd. Naruto remembered meeting the Hyuuga clan head and his family a few times before when his grandfather was at council meetings. Another group he recognized was from the Uchiha clan consisting of Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto didn't like this clan as much; they had a tendency towards overconfidence and large egos because they believed their Sharingan doujutsu was invincible.

A short ceremony later and Naruto was sitting in his new classroom along with the people that would be his classmates for the next six years. Two Chuunin came in and introduced themselves as Iruka and Mizuki. After role call, Naruto was getting a little bored so he decided to look around the classroom a little. He spotted the Hyuuga and Yamanaka heiresses quickly enough, he also noticed a young civilian girl with pink hair sitting near the Yamanaka heiress. 'I wonder who she is? Maybe she knows the Yamanaka heiress? Might be worth looking into at some point.' Naruto thought to himself before Iruka and Mizuki announced they were going out to the training fields to determine the prowess of the new students.

"Keep in mind students; this is just to see where to begin your training. Just do your best and we'll go from there." Iruka stated as all the children lined up and awaited their test.

"This may take a while." Naruto said to himself as he looked at all the students waiting.

"Maybe, but we could chat a bit to pass the time, Namikaze-sama." said a female voice behind Naruto. He turned to see who had spoken to him; it was the pink haired civilian girl that he'd noticed in the classroom. Standing beside the pink haired girl was the Yamanaka heiress.

"An whom do I have the honor of speaking with? Two pretty girls such as yourselves must have equally beautiful names." Naruto responded with a smile as his grandfather had taught him. Both girls blushed prettily before they responded.

"My name is Haruno Sakura, Namikaze-sama. It's an honor to meet you." Sakura said with a slight bow.

"I'm Yamanaka Ino, Namikaze-sama. I'm glad we finally get to meet." Ino stated with a smile.

"It is a pleasure to meet you two as well, Yamanaka-san, Haruno-san. I hope you both are feeling well." Naruto said politely just as his grandfather had taught him.

"I'm alright, Namikaze-sama." Ino replied with another smile. Naruto had to admit, the girl had a nice smile.

"I'm fine, Namikaze-sama." Sakura responded with her own smile. Again, Naruto couldn't help but admire the girl's smile. The three spent the next few minutes chatting about many different topics when they suddenly heard Iruka's voice.

"Haruno Sakura, please come forward and take your test." Iruka called out, prompting Sakura to give Naruto a small bow before running over to Iruka to take her evaluation.

"I believe she'll make a good kunoichi." Naruto said to Ino who nodded.

"She'll do great if she keeps believing in herself." Ino stated with a nod. While looking at Naruto with a grin Ino continued. "Something tells me you'll be a great shinobi yourself, Namikaze-sama."

"I'm sure you'll make a fine kunoichi yourself, Yamanaka-san." Naruto replied with a smile causing Ino to blush slightly.

"Namikaze Naruto, please come forward and take your test." Iruka called out.

"I'll see you later, Yamanaka-san." Naruto said before he walked up to Iruka and waited for his instructions.

"Alright, Namikaze-san, I need you to show me your accuracy with kunai and shuriken, as well as your current prowess with Taijutsu. You may begin when ready." Iruka stated before stepping back a few feet. Naruto nodded before he picked up his ten shuriken and threw one after another at the targets thirty feet away. His final shuriken score was nine of ten. Naruto was quick to throw his kunai scoring another nine out of ten. After Iruka tallied up his score for weapons, Naruto was ushered over to the Taijutsu sparring ring where the rules of the spar were explained to him.

"All you have to do is spar with Mizuki and I'll grade your performance. If you're able to land a solid blow on Mizuki your spar will be completed." Iruka explained to Naruto. Naruto nodded before stepping into the ring and sliding into his Taijutsu stance.

"Whenever you're ready, Namikaze-san." Mizuki said while making the 'come on' motion with his right hand. Naruto said nothing as he quickly moved into close range and shot off a quick side kick at Mizuki's ribs. Mizuki blocked the kick and countered with one of his own. Naruto parried the kick and launched a straight right punch towards Mizuki's face. Mizuki caught Naruto's fist and sent a right hook at Naruto's face. Naruto caught Mizuki's fist in return and the two engaged in a grapple.

Off to the side of the sparring ring Ino and Sakura began commenting on Naruto's spar.

"Namikaze-sama really is strong, isn't he Ino." Sakura whispered to her friend.

"Of course he is, Sakura. He's probably been training for a couple years already." Ino replied as the two continued to watch the spar.

Naruto and Mizuki continued to grapple for a few moments before Mizuki tossed Naruto away. Naruto grabbed onto Mizuki arm before he flew any distance and launched a kick that connected with Mizuki's shoulder.

"That's it! The spar is over." Iruka announced causing Naruto and Mizuki to separate.

"Very good, Namikaze-san." Mizuki said with a nod.

"Thank you, sensei. But I was actually off from where I was aiming. I meant to kick you in the head. But I didn't get to aim very well when you threw me. Thank you for the spar, sensei." Naruto replied as he walked off the field while Iruka finished totaling up his initial score.

"You did great, Namikaze-sama." Sakura said with a smile as Naruto walked over to her and Ino.

"Yeah, you did awesome, Namikaze-sama. I think you might have the highest score in the whole class." Ino praised with a grin.

"Thank you, Haruno-san, Yamanaka-san. I wish you good luck as well Yamanaka-san." Naruto replied to the girls.

"Thank you, Namikaze-sama. I'll do my best." Ino replied with a smile.

By the end of the day Naruto could say he had two new friends in Ino and Sakura. He hoped to have more before the school year ended. As he walked into the Namikaze clan compound he was quick to seek out his grandfather. He found him in the meditation garden with his wooden cane by his side.

"I'm home, Oji-san." Naruto announced with a bow.

"So I see magomusuko. Tell me, how was your first day?" Yamamoto asked his grandson as he opened his eyes to see his grandson.

"It was good, Oji-san. I made two new friends." Naruto answered as he sat in front of his grandfather.

"An who might these new friends be?" Yamamoto questioned.

"They're both girls my age, Oji-san. Their names are Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura. They're both very kind." Naruto replied.

"I see, so are you already preparing to start up another part of the clan here?" Yamamoto asked with a chuckle as he watched his grandson's face go bright red.

"Oji-san! I'm a little young for such things aren't I?" Naruto questioned with a blush on his face.

"You're fine, Naruto. I'm sure you'll be having the affection and attention of multiple women when you're a little older." Yamamoto stated while still chuckling.

"If you say so Oji-san." Naruto replied.

"I'm sure, Naruto. Now, let's get washed up for dinner. I believe Kaya-san is fixing your favorite dinner tonight in celebration of your first day of school." Yamamoto stated as he stood up and followed his grandson into the main house.

-End Chapter-

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So how was it? It may be slightly shorter than normal. But I hope you can bear with me on this. Anyway, please read review. Hopefully I haven't lost my edge since I've been gone. Until I get you reviews, later.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hello to all my loyal fans. It has been a long time I apologize for the delay. Life has just been getting in the way. Between work and school I have had almost no time to write the last several months. Also writer's block is a horrid bitch. I am aiming to correct that now. So without further ado, I present you chapter three of Forest of Flames.**

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**Chapter 3 – The Fire Grows**

It had been a year since Naruto had first set foot in the Shinobi academy. In that time he had risen to the top ranks of his class. Naruto held the top spot since the first month of his instruction. This made Uchiha Sasuke his top rival, something the Uchiha was not happy about. Naruto had also made friends with a few of his classmates. There was Kiba, the heir of the Inuzuka Clan, Shikamaru, the heir of the Nara Clan, and Chouji the heir of the Akimichi Clan. Not only had Naruto been maintaining his position at the top of his class he had also progressed well in his kekkei genkai training. He had completely mastered the first two techniques his grandfather had shown the year before. He was now on the next two techniques of the Namikaze Clan arsenal, the offensive _Bakuhotaru_ (Exploding Firefly) and the defensive _Moeteirumon_ (Burning Gate). Naruto was currently remembering back to when his grandfather first showed him the two techniques.

~Flashback~

"Naruto you have done well to master the first techniques, now you will begin on the next two techniques of the Namikaze Clan. They are known as Bakuhotaru and Moeteirumon. The Bakuhotaru is an offensive technique that allows you to cast multiple glowing spheres of fire that you can then control to surround your enemies or to cover the battlefield. We'll start with this technique before moving on to the defensive technique." Yamamoto stated as he looked upon his grandson as they both stood in the training field behind the Clan compound.

"Yes, Oji-san." Naruto replied with a bow.

"Now to begin you must learn to compress your flames into a small sphere, once you achieve that the flames should take on a yellow color and be no bigger than two inches in diameter." Yamamoto explained as he cupped his hands together and produced a small glowing yellow ball of flames that he then released into the air. As the small yellow ball of fire rose into the air Yamamoto pointed his finger towards a training post and the small ball of flames quickly headed in that direction. Once the ball of flame had landed on the post it stayed there without causing damage. "Only when you desire to attack do you flare your chakra which will cause the ball of fire to explode. Hence its name, Bakuhotaru the Exploding Firefly." With that Yamamoto lightly flared his chakra causing the ball of yellow flame on the training post to explode. When the smoke cleared the top of the training post was gone and the remainder was ablaze.

"I'll get started right away." Naruto said as he cupped his hands together and began to compress his flames into a small yellow ball. 'This shouldn't be too difficult. All I have to do is compress the flames into a shape and then maintain control over its form.' Naruto thought as he made his first ball of flames. Once he had compressed the yellow ball of fire down to the required size he pulled his hands apart and tried to direct the small ball of yellow flames towards a different training post. The ball made it about fifteen feet from Naruto's position before he lost control and the small ball of yellow fire exploded.

"You must put more focus into maintaining the shape of the fire after it has left your hands seito." Yamamoto instructed as he watched his grandson practice the technique.

"Yes, Oji-san." Naruto replied as he created another ball of yellow fire. This time when Naruto released the flame he kept his focus on the shape of the flame while he directed it towards the training post. The yellow ball of flames slowly made its way towards the post and after several seconds finally landed on top of the post. 'Now I just have to flare my chakra.' Naruto thought as he sent a burst of chakra towards the ball of fire. The ball of yellow fire exploded and when the small amount of smoke cleared it showed that the top of the training post had a black burn mark on its surface. "How was that, Oji-san?" Naruto asked as he looked towards his grandfather.

"Not a bad start, seito." Yamamoto replied with an approving smile. "When you master this technique you'll be able to create multitudes of Bakuhotaru at once and send them in multiple directions at the same time." He demonstrated by creating ten balls of yellow fire and having each one go in a different direction from the others before each one exploded at random.

"That was impressive, Oji-san." Naruto complimented with a grin. He had always enjoyed watching his grandfather display the skills he was being taught.

"Thank you, seito. Now, are you ready to move on to the Moeteirumon?" Yamamoto questioned as he looked at his grandson.

"Yes, Oji-san." Naruto replied with determination.

"Very well, to begin the Moeteirumon is not all that different than the Higara. The Moeteirumon has the same basic intention of protection but is created differently. I'll demonstrate." Yamamoto said before his hand was covered in a dark reddish-orange flame. With a quick swing of his arm a large rectangular wall of the reddish-orange flames had appeared between him and Naruto. The wall was fifteen feet high and twenty feet wide and Naruto could feel the heat from the wall from where he was standing almost twenty feet away. Just as quickly as it was made the wall of flames dispersed and Naruto was looking at his grandfather again.

"That was very large, Oji-san. But I noticed the flames seemed different than the regular flames we use for the Higara. Why is that?" Naruto asked as he walked towards his grandfather.

"Good to see you noticed. By adding chakra into the fire you can alter some of the properties of the flames you produce. The Moeteirumon requires you to 'thicken' the fire by layering your chakra throughout the technique as you shape it. Not only does this increase the heat of the flame but it makes it harder for things to move though the fire. With so much chakra layered into the technique it makes an almost semi-solid construct and can block most thrown weapons and any Suiton ninjutsu that doesn't have enough liquid volume to overcome the density of the wall and the intense heat. Though as a warning, seito, Doton ninjutsu are sometimes able to pierce through the Moeteirumon especially if you haven't layered enough chakra into the technique." Yamamoto said before motioning Naruto to try the technique.

Naruto concentrated on his right hand and flames covered it rapidly. He quickly added more chakra causing the flame to grow larger. 'That's not right. It doesn't need to get bigger. It needs to become denser.' Naruto though as he pulled his chakra back and the flame returned to its original size. 'Oji-san said I had to layer my chakra throughout the fire as I form the technique. So, maybe like this?' he thought to himself as he began to send chakra into the flame in alternate waves from slow-moving large waves to quick-moving small waves. Through his intense concentration he noticed as the flame in his hand became heavier and began to take on the reddish-orange coloration that his grandfather's had. 'Alright, let's try it out.' He thought as he swung his arm while molding his chakra through the flame into the correct shape he wanted.

"Moeteirumon." Naruto stated as his own wall of reddish-orange flames formed in between himself and his grandfather. Right away Naruto noticed that his wall was a bit misshapen, it was more of a triangle than a rectangle and it was rather small, only about seven feet high and maybe eight feet wide. Plus it wasn't all that thick either close to ten inches thick at the most and in some places as little as four inches in thickness. "Well, that could have gone better." Naruto said as he watched his technique disperse.

"A good first attempt, seito." Yamamoto congratulated as he approached his grandson. "You'll get better with experience and practice. But for now let us head to the onsen and soak away the day's tension before dinner." Yamamoto said as he led his grandson towards the private onsen off to the side of the Namikaze compound.

~End Flashback~

Naruto was pulled from his thoughts by the arrival of Iruka and Mizuki. He, along with the rest of the class, turned towards the front of the room as the two instructors prepared to start class.

"Alright students today were going to start with conditioning followed up by some new Taijutsu practice." Iruka announced as some of the students groaned about it being too early in the morning for physical activity.

"Man, this is so troublesome." Naruto heard Shikamaru mumble as the class made their way down to the school yard and the exercise field.

"You think everything is troublesome, Shika." Chouji said with a smile as he popped another chip into his mouth.

"Because he's lazier than anybody else in the Academy." Kiba remarked with a smirk as he walked beside the two with his hands behind his head.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru replied with a sigh. Naruto just shook his head slightly at his lazy friend and his insistence that everything was troublesome. The class finished their conditioning roughly an hour after arriving at the field after which they were given a ten minute break before Iruka called them all over to explain their new Taijutsu training.

"Ok class, today were going to practice fighting multiple opponents at the same time. We'll start off with two-on-one and if anyone shows a lot of skill we might let them try three-on-one." Iruka explained as Mizuki picked up a clipboard and called out the first three students to try. "Watch closely students, try and learn from watching what your classmates do before you're called up." Iruka instructed as the first three students were beginning to practice against each other in turns.

Several minutes later Naruto was called up along with Sasuke and Shino. When all three were in the designated area it was decided that Naruto would be the first single fighter while Sasuke and Shino teamed up against him.

"You're going down, Namikaze." Sasuke said while shifting into his Taijutsu stance. Shino remained silent but also slid into his Taijutsu stance.

"We'll see, Sasuke, we'll see." Naruto replied while giving a nod towards Shino which the quiet boy returned with one of his own. Naruto dropped into his Taijutsu stance and waited for the match to start.

"Begin!" Mizuki stated while bringing his hand down. Sasuke instantly rushed in and through a roundhouse at Naruto's head. Naruto blocked the roundhouse with his right arm and redirected Sasuke's follow-up punch away from his stomach. Naruto quickly pushed Sasuke away just in time to avoid Shino coming at him from behind with a side kick. The quiet Aburame was quick to strike out with a back fist but Naruto blocked the blow before grabbing Shino's arm and sweeping the boy's feet out from under him. Sasuke tried to take advantage of Naruto's position while he was dealing with Shino but his punch was side-stepped as Naruto made a two hundred seventy degree spin and slammed his palm into Sasuke's back sending him crashing into Shino who had barely gotten to his feet before Sasuke collided with him.

"That's enough." Iruka called out as the three boys moved back into their starting positions. "Well executed, Naruto. Sasuke, Shino your Taijutsu was good but neither of you worked together. If you had you would have been able to put more pressure on Naruto during the fight. Now this time it'll be Shino's turn to fight alone." Iruka said while Shino nodded at the critique and Sasuke grimaced at not being able to land a solid shot on Naruto. The rest of the class went mostly the same before the students went back inside for History class which would be followed by Strategy and Tactics and then lunch.

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While the Academy was in session Namikaze Yamamoto, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura were having a secret meeting in the Hokage's office. The meeting was to discuss what should be done about the information ANBU operative Weasel, also known as Uchiha Itachi, had delivered to them about a planned coup de tat of the Uchiha clan.

"Sarutobi, we can't let this go on. The Uchiha clan has to be stopped." Homura spoke as he looked over the information Itachi had provided.

"I agree, Sarutobi. The Uchiha haven't even made an attempt at talking peacefully about anything they want in the Council sessions. It's always one demand after another, without regard for whomever they would be taking from. Now, we find solid evidence of treason along with this ever increasing demand for what they want. They need to be brought to heel." Koharu said with a grimace. It wasn't like they hadn't tried to negotiate with the Uchiha clan during the Council meetings, the doujutsu wielders simply wouldn't compromise.

"What are the Daimyo's feelings on this Yamamoto?" Hiruzen questioned with a sigh. He didn't want to have a civil war in Konoha but he also couldn't reach any agreement with Uchiha Fugaku during any of their non-Council meetings. The man was too damn stubborn.

"The Daimyo has declared that to ensure stability of Konohagakure no Sato, the Uchiha clan must either call off their planned coup or the Uchiha instigators must be punished for treason against the village and Hi no Kuni. He's even signed an Imperial Order for termination of all hostile elements within the Uchiha clan if they refuse to comply." Yamamoto replied as he showed them the handwritten order from the Daimyo.

"Very well then," Hiruzen said with a sigh of disappointment. "If we can't make the Uchiha clan see reason before they attempt to execute their scheduled coup. I will have no choice but to follow Daimyo-sama's order."

"How should we go about terminating the hostile Uchiha forces if worse comes to worst, Sarutobi?" Homura questioned as he put his elbows on the table and rested his chin atop his interlocked fingers.

"I will take care of it personally." Yamamoto stated with finality. "Daimyo-sama has decreed an Imperial Order and it is the duty of the Namikaze to fulfill the Daimyo's highest orders. If the hostile Uchiha refuse to comply I will be forced to take their termination into my hands." Yamamoto finished with a stone-like expression on his face.

"Agreed, however, I will station the majority of the shinobi forces around the perimeter of the Uchiha district during this operation, if it comes to that." Hiruzen said as three of the elders stood up from the Hokage's desk and left the office. Hiruzen slowly turned his chair to face the window of his office that overlooked Konoha. 'Please, Fugaku, don't continue down this path of violence. There won't be anything left of your once proud clan except ashes if you force the Daimyo to have Yamamoto move against you.' The old leader thought to himself while staring at the faces of the past Hokage.

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**And that's a wrap for this chapter. Sorry it's shorter than normal, but like I said in the first author's note work, school, and writer's block has become a near constant trifecta of hell for me in the last several months. Anyway, let me know what you guys think in your reviews. Will Yamamoto be forced to reduce the Uchiha Clan to ashes? Will Naruto master the next Namikaze Clan techniques? When will Naruto meet the first girl he'll have feelings for? Why am I asking you all these questions?**

**But seriously, feel free to suggest a girl or two for the harem as well as a reason why or a situation that could be plausible for the pairing in the context of this story. Fair warning, I already have one girl picked out and my harems are never more than four or five girls at the most. See you all in the next chapter.**


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